Joining Yoga to Buddhi and Yajna Karma

ज्यायसी चेत्कर्मणस्ते मता बुद्धिर्जनार्दन।

तत्किं कर्मणि घोरे मां नियोजयसि केशव ॥गीत ३-१॥

व्यामिश्रेणैव वाक्येन बुद्धिं मोहयसीव मे।

तदेकं वद निश्चित्य येन श्रेयोऽहमाप्नुयाम् ॥गीत ३-२॥

Arjuna says, on one hand you ask me to perform my duty and fight this dreaded war but on the other, you praise buddhi so much, i am confused and deluded. Please decide and tell me what is that i should do, which path is good for me? Krishna agrees, of-course there are two paths, Jnana and Karma. Main emphasis was on Jnana (or buddhi) in the second chapter. However, Jnana or buddhi alone is dangerous, it leads to ahankara. We need to join yoga to it. Veda Vyasa is the best example of buddhi yoga, who rejected all kingly affluence and pursued the work of Veda prasarana. Drona the master of dhanurvidya is an example of buddhi without yoga, though being a guru himself, became a blind witness to all the misdeeds of kauravas. He also accepted the responsibility of senadhipati for kauravas, joined Dhuryodhana in the murder of innocent Abhimanyu. Another extreme is that of karma vadis, only hat ka kam, pait ka kam, no akal ka kam, mere actions driven by animalistic instincts without any discrimination or intellect, like the bull of the mill. Animals are better equipped to do such monotonous actions.

कर्मेन्द्रियाणि संयम्य य आस्ते मनसा स्मरन्।

इन्द्रियार्थान्विमूढात्मा मिथ्याचारः स उच्यते॥गीत ३-६॥

When buddhi or karma becomes distorted (Vikrutaavaste) it becomes mithyachara (hypocrisy). This has become one of the biggest menace today, especially in the field of Purohitya and Jyotishya. In the name of veda and karmakanda big racket is going on, mainly in the cities like Mumbai and Bangalore. The film Sangharsh portrays how, many Purohits in kashi pendals are exploiting the belief of innocent people. Similarly, this mithyachara is spreading to yoga as well. In the name of world yoga day, business strategies are being worked out to capture the yoga market. There are many examples of so called yoga gurus building yoga empires in western countries, and some examples wherein they have also been convicted in courts for their misdeeds in the name of yoga.

So to summarize, buddhi alone is dangerous, karma alone is monotonous, we need to join yoga to buddhi and Yajna to karma to bring harmony.